FITNESS FEATURE FRIDAY - DAVE MCGILLIVRAY
ZELUS BEER
This week we are featuring Dave McGillivray; an athlete, race director and resident of Andover, MA. Dave is the race director of the world’s oldest marathon, the Boston Marathon. Over forty years ago he founded DMSE Sports, which has managed or consulted on over 1,300 participatory races worldwide. Dave’s personal achievements are just as impressive: he is a runner, a multi-marathoner (over 158!), a triathlete and a multi-Ironman. He has run across America twice (you could say he is a double transcontinentaler!). We are very grateful to have him contribute to our little blog.
Your name and the name of any organization you represent.
Dave McGillivray, President and Founder of DMSE Sports, Inc.
Describe your “career” either or both as an athlete or an organization operator.
As an athlete, I’ve been very fortunate to have been able to set many personal, endurance goals and have achieved them from running across America twice, running up the East Coast of America, doing 24 hour runs, bikes and swims, competing in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship nine times, running my age on my birthday since I was 12-years-old, competing in the World Marathon Challenge (7 marathons, 7 days, 7 continents), running in 158 marathons and 48 consecutive Boston Marathons. Most of these athletic achievements have raised money for various local and regional charities. As a race organizer, I founded DMSE Sports almost 40 years ago which has managed or consulted on over 1,300 mass-participatory events all of the United States and abroad. These events have included helping to manage the B.A.A. Boston Marathon for the past 33 years, directing the ITU Triathlon World Championship, directing local iconic races like the New Balance Falmouth Road Race and the TD Beach to Beacon 10K Road Race, directing the USA Olympic Marathon Trials twice and helping to create and manage many charity walks such as the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. Similarly, most events we manage benefit local non-profit organizations. All combined, over $200 million has been raised as a result of all these efforts and events.
When and how did you get into your sport/organization?
As a young boy growing up, I always wanted to play sports and become a professional athlete. Unfortunately, given my small statue, I was always the last one picked or the last one cut when I tried out for the sports teams. As a result, I started to run given that it was an individual sport. I started setting personal goals and in 1978 I ran across the United States from Medford, OR to Medford, MA to raise money for the Jimmy Fund of Boston. I finished that run inside Fenway Park in front of 32,000 fans, a place where I always wanted to play but now I was using my running athleticism to run in. I then opened up a running store in my hometown of Medford, MA and then started producing events to promote the store. I then quickly realized I liked putting on events more than putting shoes on people’s feet so I created an event management company, DMSE Sports.
What is the highest level of performance or event you have taken yourself or your group members to?
As for my company, DMSE Sports, we certainly have been fortunate to just about have “done it all” from working the Atlanta Olympic Games and Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, to directing the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, to directing world and national championship events and directing Olympic Marathon Trials all while raising millions of dollars for many worthwhile causes.
As for me personally, I would put my run across America in 1978 at the highest level of personal performance. I was a 23-year-old who was goal-orientated but perhaps a little naïve, too, which turned out to be a good thing. I averaged about 45-50 miles a day for 80 consecutive days. The toughest part was making the commitment then what I call “earning the right” to do it. I focused and trained for four years before I took the first step. Finishing in Fenway Park on the evening of August 29, 1978 to this day is the highlight of my athletic career. From that point on, I felt I could almost accomplish anything as long as I earned the right to do it and was willing to accept the sacrifices involved to achieve it.
Your favorite part of the sport/organization.
Years ago when asked what I did for a living, I used to mumble, “I’m a race director.” People would scratch their head and ask “what does a race director do, put a chalk mark in the road and yell go?” At first I would respond by saying, “yeah, I guess that is what I do.” However, things have changed over the years and now I say “I help raise the level of self-confidence and self-esteem of ten’s of thousands of people in America!” This is my favorite part of managing events...giving people the opportunity and chance to feel good about themselves. The toughest part about running in a race for some people is signing the application. Once they do that, they have to do the work, earn the right, toe the line, answer the starter’s gun, run the course, cross the finish line, get a medal and then magic happens...they go home feeling good about themselves. Nothing is more powerful than that as that is the very foundation by which we accomplish everything else in our lives.
The hardest part.
Sometimes you can be a victim of your own success. As such, some events sell out in nano-seconds and thus many who want in are shut out. So, the hardest part is having to have to say sorry, we are full and have no more room, try us again next year. You work so hard to build up your event and your brand and then you find yourself turning people away.
Additional training, exercise, accomplishments.
Other accomplishments might be writing four books (so far) – The Last Pick, Dream Big, Running Across America, and Finish Strong. I also created my own children’s non-profit foundation called the DMSE Children’s Fitness Foundation. Lastly, I do a lot of motivational speaking and have given over 1,900 of them to every conceivable type of group imaginable from elementary schools, to high schools, colleges, business groups, etc.
Any training or recovery tips and tricks?
Well, you learn something new every day. I’ve been running for 50 years and covered over 150,000 miles and I am still learning. A few weeks ago I did my annual birthday run / bike – I ran 26.2 miles and biked 40 miles. The next day I awoke and NOTHING. No soreness, no pain. I believe biking the 40-miles after running the marathon distance made all the difference as crazy as that sounds. A few weeks later, I did the Boston Marathon virtual by running 26.2 miles around my neighborhood but did nothing after the run. The next day I was really sore. So, maybe the biking after the running actually helped immediately in the recovery process! Who knew??
Favorite ZēLUS Beer
LONG RUN Apricot Pale Ale – why? My Greater Boston Track Club coach nicknamed me LONG RUN after I arrived home from my run across America. So, how can I not say it’s my favorite ZeLUS Beer!!??
If there is anything else you would like to add?
Only other thing – I had open heart triple bypass surgery a few years ago. I was diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease, mostly genetics related. I learned at 63 years old that just because you are fit doesn’t mean you are healthy...I thought it did. Lesson learned – we are not invincible. We need to take care of ourselves. If you feel something, say something!
Dave’s words are his own.